One of the NFL's biggest disappointmentsS

[hyrum]

Maybe the fact that a guy (not the first one of the season) has broken through the SF pass protection and is pulling on his jersey has something to do with Alex being "a disappointment". Oh well.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by Donuthole

How can you argue "But he's still so young" on one hand, and argue "He's the brightest kid NFL" on the other? The arguments are counter-intuitive, as the age argument appeals to intelligence, or rather, the lack thereof. Simply stated, ff Alex Smith is so damn smart, then why does it matter how young he is?

On a related note, if he wasn't ready for the NFL, then why did he come out early?

I can draw you a parallel if you like...

Every year, some of the brightest minds in the country come out of top notch law schools, business schools, med schools etc...and they go into their given professions and are not trying murder cases, hired as CEOs, hired as the top doctor, surgeon etc...these people are all incredibly bright, talented, and the best of their classes...that doesn't mean that they are ready to hop right in and be at the top of their profession.

Similarly (with the exception of Dan Marino & Ben Rothlisberge), most QBs drafted in the NFL come in with a high learning curve, typically don't come in to good situations, and as such, struggle.

Peyton Manning was 3-13 his first year, Carson Palmer sat the bench his first year.

Granted, there are always guys that just "don't have the talent to hack it" ala Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade Mcnown, Heath Shuler.

Then there are those that don't make it their first go-round and eventually end up as a solid NFL starter...Trent Dilfer & Tommy Maddox are good examples of this.

Many QBs in the NFL have a natural progression through their careers and yes, they are expected (As Alex is) in their third year to start showing improvement and start leading their teams to wins.

The 49ers (since we're talking specifically about Alex Smith) went 4-12 his first season, and 7-9 his second season. That to me shows that the team improved....maybe I'm crazy though.

This season, they are expected to compete for their division title with Alex at the helm. Currently, they are 2-1 and 2-0 in their division. I'd say that three weeks in, they are competing for their division title, wouldn't you?

I'm sure that Alex would like to have better numbers, and as he has time with this new group of guys, I'm confident that his numbers will improve. But what matters in the NFL is wins and losses...not stats. Stats are nice, but if you are throwing for 6 Touchdowns in a loss (Carson Palmer vs. Cleveland) what are you accomplishing?

So, yes, Alex is young, and, Alex is smart, and those two things don't have to be mutally exclusive. He has also had 3 offensive coordinators in three years (I'm sure you would say that that shouldn't matter too, but it has ruined the careers of a number of players on both sides of the ball...LaVar Arrington being one of them).

Mostly though, it is silly to start evaluating disappointments three weeks into a very young season with a young QB on a young team that has been rebuilding for several years. If the 49ers go 8-8 this year or 9-7 with Smith at the helm, I would think that most 49er fans would say that that was a far cry from their 1-15 season. Wouldn't you?

[Donuthole]

The problem lies in that the Niners are winning in spite of him, not because of him.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by Donuthole

The problem lies in that the Niners are winning in spite of him, not because of him.

So, are you saying that every other part of the 49ers football team is playing well except for Alex Smith?

Running Game - Fine? Offensive Line Protection and blocking - Fine? Defense Fine? Special teams - Fine?

I just want to make sure that Smith is clearly the only problem with that team.

Didn't he engineer the game winning drive against Arizona?

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by DrumNFeather

I can draw you a parallel if you like...

Every year, some of the brightest minds in the country come out of top notch law schools, business schools, med schools etc...and they go into their given professions and are not trying murder cases, hired as CEOs, hired as the top doctor, surgeon etc...these people are all incredibly bright, talented, and the best of their classes...that doesn't mean that they are ready to hop right in and be at the top of their profession.

Similarly (with the exception of Dan Marino & Ben Rothlisberge), most QBs drafted in the NFL come in with a high learning curve, typically don't come in to good situations, and as such, struggle.

Peyton Manning was 3-13 his first year, Carson Palmer sat the bench his first year.

Granted, there are always guys that just "don't have the talent to hack it" ala Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade Mcnown, Heath Shuler.

Then there are those that don't make it their first go-round and eventually end up as a solid NFL starter...Trent Dilfer & Tommy Maddox are good examples of this.

Many QBs in the NFL have a natural progression through their careers and yes, they are expected (As Alex is) in their third year to start showing improvement and start leading their teams to wins.

The 49ers (since we're talking specifically about Alex Smith) went 4-12 his first season, and 7-9 his second season. That to me shows that the team improved....maybe I'm crazy though.

This season, they are expected to compete for their division title with Alex at the helm. Currently, they are 2-1 and 2-0 in their division. I'd say that three weeks in, they are competing for their division title, wouldn't you?

I'm sure that Alex would like to have better numbers, and as he has time with this new group of guys, I'm confident that his numbers will improve. But what matters in the NFL is wins and losses...not stats. Stats are nice, but if you are throwing for 6 Touchdowns in a loss (Carson Palmer vs. Cleveland) what are you accomplishing?

So, yes, Alex is young, and, Alex is smart, and those two things don't have to be mutally exclusive. He has also had 3 offensive coordinators in three years (I'm sure you would say that that shouldn't matter too, but it has ruined the careers of a number of players on both sides of the ball...LaVar Arrington being one of them).

Mostly though, it is silly to start evaluating disappointments three weeks into a very young season with a young QB on a young team that has been rebuilding for several years. If the 49ers go 8-8 this year or 9-7 with Smith at the helm, I would think that most 49er fans would say that that was a far cry from their 1-15 season. Wouldn't you?

Q.E.D.

[il Padrino Ute]

This thread is showing the true colors of folks here. We now know who are not BYU fans, but Ute haters.

[JohnnyLingo]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

This thread is showing the true colors of folks here. We now know who are not BYU fans, but Ute haters.

Hey, I'm just tired of people saying Smith is God.

Now that it's been established he clearly isn't, I can leave it alone.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by JohnnyLingo

Hey, I'm just tired of people saying Smith is God.

Now that it's been established he clearly isn't, I can leave it alone.

"You believe you're God?"

"I'm A God, not THE God."

[bigpiney]

Originally Posted by ewth8tr

me too Since I'm a niners fan, but he has really looked bad again this year, although the 49ers OL problems have made it hard to judge.

I am a niners fan and I just can't figure out what kind of team they are. Smith has glimpses of goodness, but sakes alive he just doesn't seem to be getting it done.

Their D seems really good this year. and frank gore is a beast. I will be very disappointed if they don't work really hard at shoring up that o-line and they should also draft a 3rd or 4th round qb next year. Before last weekend Smith was the 32nd in fantasy points, now he is 28th. 1 touchdown and 1 interception and a qb rating of 67.4 through 3 games does not make me happy as a Niners fan. That sucks.

[Donuthole]

Originally Posted by bigpiney

1 touchdown and 1 interception and a qb rating of 67.4 through 3 games does not make me happy as a Niners fan. That sucks.

That is the defense's fault. Don't hold the QB accountable.